EASTER LITANY
Christ is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He gave us new life and hope by raising Jesus from the dead.
He has claimed us as his own.
He called us from our darkness into the light of his new day.
Christ is risen! Alleluia!
He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
GATHERING HYMN “Surely, the Presence of the Lord is in this Place"
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Rejoicing in the resurrection, let us seek God's forgiveness, that dying to sin,
we may walk in newness of life.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Faithful God,
we confess that we have tried to live by our own poor strength,
shunning the earth-shaking power of the resurrection.
We have doubted your promises. We have failed to recognize you in the poor and needy.
Have mercy on us, forgive us our sin,
and restore to us the joy of your salvation
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Christ died to sin once for all, and now, victorious, lives to God. Our Savior has delivered you from the power of darkness and welcomed you into the realm of light. For his sake God grants you pardon and peace, the remission of all your sins. Amen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
O God of peace, you brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep.
By the blood of your eternal covenant,
make us complete in everything good
that we may do your will,
and work among us all that is well-pleasing in your sight,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
PSALM 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
THE SECOND LESSON: Revelation 7:9-17
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
singing,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: John 10:22-30
The holy gospel according to Saint John. Glory to you, O Lord.
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON “Hear. Know. Follow.” Pastor Phil Wold
The service will be live streamed, click here.
HYMN OF THE DAY “Joyful, Joyful” ELW #836
NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures;
he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Everlasting God, the whole universe sings a new song of praise: the rivers clap their hands, the hills ring out for joy. As you have raised us to new life in Christ, give us voices ready to cry out for justice and proclaim resurrection joy wherever your Spirit leads us. In Jesus' name we boldly pray. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
THE PEACE IS SHARED
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
BLESSING
SENDING SONG “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us” ELW #789
SENDING
Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
From SundaysAndSeasons.com. Copyright 2024 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #26385.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.